LONDON, Ont. — Like her predecessor, Rabbi Debra Dressler is a second-career rabbi. Last month, she began to lead services at Temple Israel in London, Ont., and on July 1, she officially succeeded Rabbi Joel Wittstein, who died in January at age 74 of cancer, as the 140-family congregation’s spiritual leader.
Rabbi Debra Dressler
A graduate of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the 42-year-old rabbi used her business background for nine years working in circulation and direct marketing for non-profit magazines in Washington, D.C.
Her Jewish journey is “kind of an interesting story,” she said in a recent phone interview. An adopted child who grew up in a non-Jewish family in Lansing, Mich., she found out in her early 20s that her birth mother was Jewish, which means she’s Jewish according to Jewish law.
“A lot of things clicked for me,” said Rabbi Dressler, whose first close contact with Judaism was through Jewish friends in college. Her birth mother’s Jewish background was all the excuse she needed to learn more, she said.
Five years after enrolling in an introduction to Judaism class at a Reform temple, she took part in an affirmation service – “basically a conversion without the converting part,” she said.
In Washington, she served as assistant executive director at Adas Israel Congregation, a large Conservative synagogue. “I learned all sorts of things,” she said. “It was absolutely invaluable.”
Last year, Rabbi Dressler was ordained by Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati. The mother of three daughters spent five years as a rabbinic intern at Cincinnati’s Isaac M. Wise Temple while she was a student, and also taught at Reform supplementary schools before she moved to London in June.
In her new role, her priorities are “to come in and fill the void that the death of Rabbi Wittstein left.”
Rabbi Michal Shekel of Toronto served as the temple’s interim rabbi, and congregants “did a fantastic job” of keeping the synagogue going, Rabbi Dressler said. “It’s a strong community… [but] they’re ready to have a rabbi take it back.”
Rabbi Dressler, who has an interest and background in young families and education, will serve as principal of the temple’s religious school, as did Rabbi Wittstein.
Being a rabbi means, among other duties, leading services, teaching adults and children, celebrating life cycle events, and participating in community events, Rabbi Dressler said. “It’s a lot of hats, and that’s what I love about it.”
As well, she said, she admires her new congregation’s commitment to education and community involvement. In a broader context, she added, “London is a wonderful town, and a great place for my family.” She has already met with Conservative and Orthodox colleagues to discuss joint educational programming.
Aside from family trips to Manitoulin Island when she was growing up, Rabbi Dressler had no previous Canadian connection.
Between Canada Day and a recent celebration for the synagogue’s 25th anniversary, she said, “It was quite a whirlwind introduction.”
